


Light Amidst The Dark

by dasakuryo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Before The Awakening references, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-07 03:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18612574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasakuryo/pseuds/dasakuryo
Summary: The Aftermath of Crait catches up to Finn, Poe and Rey.





	Light Amidst The Dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Port](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Port/gifts).



Poe had never felt so alone looking at the stars before. He used to look up to them for guidance, trying to trace a path linking all those bright glimmering lights in the night sky. Now all he could feel, there staring out the gunner turret's transparinsteel, surrounded by stars, was utter desolation. He felt _lost_.

The necklace around his neck weighed, unbelievable heavy. He fished in his shirt and his fingers tangled around the gold chain. He yanked it out from the folds of fabric, his throat clogging when his gaze rested upon the small ring.

Mum had said the galaxy was a fundamentally good place. But with the Resistance in shambles, its remains crammed into the Falcon, and the First Order reigning and threatening to squash every being in the galaxy... the unwavering hope those words had bore for him for years faltered.

His eyes stung.

_"What scared me then isn't what scares me now?"_

_"What are you afraid of now?"_

_"That it was all for nothing."_

His hand clenched around the ring as his father's words echoed from the depths of his memory. Somehow, the pain digging into his palm and flaring up his arm seemed fitting. Rightfully well-deserved. Because this was his fault. His generations fault.

They should have taken greater care of their freedom. They should have honoured the sacrifices made by so many people —like his parents, like many in their generation who did not outlive the galactic civil war. They should have but they hadn't. They'd preferred to look the other way, convince themselves that the First Order was no real threat at all.

And they have paid the price. Costly.

Tanul. The Hosnian system—

And now all that stood between the First Order closing its iron grip around the whole galaxy was a handful of resistance soldiers.

_As long as there is light, we have hope._

The memory of his own words, the significance of its metaphor rang hollow in his ears. He clenched his hand tighter around the ring and did his best to keep his stinging eyes closed.

He was so focused a clank behind him almost made him jolt in his seat. He brushed his eye hastily, meeting the reflection of Finn's worried gaze on the crystal before him.

_The galaxy was a fundamentally good place._

The former Stormtrooper who had broken him out of the First Order grip when Poe had thought he was done for, believing he'd betrayed and condemned the whole galaxy. Light was found in the darkest, most unexpected places. Poe knew that, and was reminded of it when the Stormtrooper had slid his helmet off.

_Because it's the right thing to do._

And despite the overwhelming sense of failure and loss, Poe couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Finn couldn't ease the knot in his stomach. The phantom glaring light of the First Order's canon shone brightly in the back of his mind.

On Tanul, he'd refused to pull the trigger against the villagers. On Crait, he'd been willing to sacrifice himself if that brought the First Order to their knees. Many things had changed in the in-between.

Yet, above all, snuffing out the uncertainty, the frustration and the fear simmering behind his ribs. He defected, he had helped those in need, he had helped the Resistance— He was willing to put his life on the line to protect others.

There was hope. Like he'd found himself in the Resistance, because his heart called out, because it was the right thing to do— then many others would too. If he'd defected, why couldn't other Stromtroopers break through the First Order re-conditioning and do the same?

He could spark hope when it seemed lost. He could talk allies into joining. There was no point in running, it was time to face the enemy head-first. Once and for all. And protect those who could not protect themselves.

And then he walked in the gunner turret and saw Poe's eyes glistening with tears.

"Poe—" he saw his shoulders twitch, and Finn couldn't think of a follow-up to that that did not sting in one way or another.

Nothing was alright and everything was wrong, after all. Finn cleared his throat and fumbled with his jacket's cuff.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he finally settled for saying, his voice somewhat breathy. He patted Poe's shoulder for good measure, and the tension seemed to ease a bit.

Poe's face eased into a smile on the transparinsteel.

"No, I am good." Finn would beg to differ, but kept his mouth shut. "We'd better check on the rest, though, see if there are any rations somewhere in the ship—"

Finn nodded. Poe rose to his feet and the next thing he knew was that Poe was squeezing his shoulder, as the smile spread on his face and some of the sombreness washed away, his clouded eyes clearing ever so slightly.

"Thanks, bud."

"We can't give up, right? People are counting on us," Finn blurted out all of a sudden.

Poe let out a short, almost imperceptible sigh at that. It was not further pain that claimed his features, but softness, his gaze was warmer now and his lips quirked into a knowing half-smile.

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

* * *

For the millionth time in the past hour, Rey told herself it wasn't her fault. That she couldn't have saved Master Skywalker, and yet— still, guilt tore her insides and she wonder what might have happened if she'd acted different. If she had listened Kylo Ren could not be swayed back to the light, if she had tried to convince Luke to join the fight instead—

Too many possibilities, too many _what if-s_ , too many questions she might never get an answer to.

And the galaxy's fate on the line— It all seemed like a faint glimmering light, twinkling, as the darkness around it threatened to engulf it.

_"We have everything we need."_

Leia had said. So convinced, so assuring, so hopeful.

Yet the non-yielding, suffocating grip around Rey's throat made her wonder if that would be enough. Could they really stand a chance against the power of the First Order, with the Resistance in pieces and with no sign of allies?

She slid down to the floor and buried her face on her knees, taking a deep breath, hoping that would be enough to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes. By the burning sensation at every blink, Rey was not sure how effective that would be. She took another deep breath, trying to focus on his breathing. Trying to feel something —the Force— around her.

Was Master Skywalker there? To help her? Could she tap into the Force and reach out? She'd heard the stories, of Jedi long gone whose spirits somehow still roamed the world of the living. What did become one with the Force meant then?

She no longer had anyone to ask to.

And there she was. On the Millenium Falcon. Where, in a way, everything had started back on Jakku. Getting tangled up with a small droid, its mission and the Resistance. And she could not deny being faced with her Force-sensitivity had knocked her off balance—

But perhaps, what had been more enthralling, meaningful for her heart had been another thing entirely. Perhaps it had been meeting a boy that wanted to make sure if she was alright, who risked everything to save her from the First Order, who stood up his ground against an evil such as Kylo Ren. Someone who cared for her. Someone who went back for her.

To Rey, who was so used to waiting, this blooming notion there was someone now out there she could always count on coming back to, and for, her was an entirely overwhelming emotion. One that sent warmth through her chest to the very tips of her toes.

_My name's Finn._

_I'm Rey._

His smile had been one of the brightest Rey had seen. And his hug on Starkiller base one of the warmest she had felt, though she didn't think it could ever compare the relief of wrapping her arms around him and pressing him tight to her chest on Crait. The hold of his embrace felt safe. Felt like home. Felt like something Rey couldn't —didn't want to— put a name to yet.

But something that, nonetheless, shone bright and warm when they smiled at each other, when their gazes met—

"Rey, I've been looking everywhere for you," Finn's weary voice echoed in the cargo hold.

Oh, so that was where the warm ripples in the Force were coming from. She looked up, finding her lips easing into a smile before she could realise. Finn halted, staring at her, the slight rounding of his eyes and the sudden uneven beats in the Force like rain muddling a pond. A slight crease trudged its way between his eyebrows.

"I'm alright," she assured, voice soft, as she stood up.

Finn searched for her eyes and she shifted her weight.

"You—how—I mean... what happened on—" she tried, unable to let the words out.

An emotion flickered across his brown eyes, clouding. She didn't know how to ask, nor could find the ways to bring up the topic without feeling she was treading on painfully unsteady ground. What the First Order, what General Hux almost did to him— to Rose— it send a shiver down her spine.

She couldn't bear the thought of that happening. She couldn't stand the idea of not seeing him ever again, of loosing him. There were so many things she wanted to say, but so little words came to her mouth that she didn't even know where to start.

So she didn't speak at all. She bridged the distance keeping them apart and pulled him into another tight hug.

"I am so relieved you're alright, too," she said into his chest.

She felt Finn harbouring his face on the crook of her neck.

"You were right, we did see each other again," he whispered, tightening his arms around her.

And the warmth of him pressed against her drummed quicker in her chest.

* * *

"How long 'til Dagobah?"

Finn eyed Rey over his shoulder and beamed at her.

"Nervous?"

Rey huffed and flopped on the seat behind him, while Poe flickered through the controls biting down a smile.

"We're going to a planet with a strong dark side presence," she said, rather hastily, fixing up her buns. "I am being cautious."

"You don't trust Zay's intel?" Poe asked, almost on the verge of chuckling.

"I do. I do trust her. I am worried about—"

Poe let out a chuckle, "we'll be fine, Rey. Finn stood up to Ren, and I did too- sort of, at least, for a while," he cleared his throat as soon as both Finn and Rey opened their mouths to retort, "besides, we're a team. We work together. We'll be fine."

"I'm with Poe on this one," said Finn, clapping the man's shoulder. "Besides, aren't we supposed to find another Jedi? That will help the Resistance."

Poe shook his head. "No, and yes. She'll definitely prove of great help. But she's no Jedi."

"What was her name? Ashla, right?" Rey asked, finally giving up and leaving her hair as it was.

Finn turned around. "Well, that was a codename. I think her real name is Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you've enjoyed the story, especially Port! Hope it met your expectations. I wanted to show how the aftermath of TLJ may have affected our trio, and since we have not canon information on Ahsoka's fate besides the fact she survives the Galactic Civil War, I thought she might as well be among Leia's allies, so yeah, why not? Hope you all have enjoyed the read. Kudos are love and comments are rad!


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